title: Update on current and potential nanoparticle cancer therapies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the most recent preclinical and clinical advancements in therapeutic nano-oncology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  First-generation nanotherapies are well tolerated in humans and evidence shows that they are efficacious, while at the same time reducing the burden of side-effects. Most of these therapies are not specifically targeted, but take advantage of enhanced passive accumulation within tumors to preferentially deliver chemotherapies that demonstrate off-target toxicities when administered as free drugs. Also, actively targeted nanotherapies are entering the clinical arena and preliminary data are encouraging. Finally, a number of exciting preclinical developments in nanotechnology provide clear evidence that nanotherapies will continue to enter the clinic and will have a significant impact in oncology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A number of intriguing nanoparticle therapies are being tested in preclinical and clinical trials. Nanoparticles with increasing molecular sophistication, specific targeting properties, and unique mechanisms of action will find their way to the clinic. Certainly, nanoparticle-based therapies will be increasingly represented in drug development pipelines, and will continue to provide efficacious and well tolerated drug options for patients with cancer.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Urology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University bDriskill Graduate Program in the Life Sciences, Northwestern University cRobert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois dInternational Institute for Nanotechnology (IIN), Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois eInstitute for Bionanotechnology and Medicine (IBNAM), Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rink
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Plebanek
authors.forename: Sushant
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tripathy
authors.forename: C Shad
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Thaxton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000639:trends; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering